For many stargazers, last night felt nothing short of magical. From the hills of Scotland to the icy skies of Iceland and the plains of Minnesota, the heavens lit up with shimmering curtains of green and violet. Behind this stunning scene was a rare solar event that captured the attention of scientists and skywatchers alike.
Two solar eruptions send charged particles to Earth
Last weekend, the sun released two separate eruptions, each hurling a coronal mass ejection (CME) towards Earth. These are large clouds of solar plasma and radiation. One CME struck Earth’s magnetic field at around 1 p.m. EDT on Tuesday (April 15), creating geomagnetic storms and vivid auroras at high altitudes.
The display stretched across the Northern Hemisphere. Spaceweather.com’s image gallery featured sightings from Iceland, Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom. Northern lights were also seen across parts of the northern U.S. and Canada, including a confirmed show in Minnesota. While another CME might still reach Earth, the UK’s Met Office reported that the first eruption likely absorbed the second, making another strike unlikely.
Storm watch continues, but peak might have passed
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a G3-level geomagnetic storm watch for Tuesday. According to its latest forecast, the strongest conditions occurred overnight. The geomagnetic storm scale ranges from G1 to G5, with G5 being the most severe.
The NOAA expects auroras to remain visible tonight over North America, particularly across Alaska and Canada. Northern U.S. states may also catch a faint glimpse near the horizon. The UK’s Met Office confirmed its G3 watch is valid until 2 p.m. EDT today, with chances of milder G1 storms through Thursday (April 17).
What triggered the display in the sky?
This week’s activity began on April 12 and 13, when magnetic filaments on the sun erupted. These filaments are dense tubes of plasma held above the sun’s surface by magnetic forces. If the forces become unstable, they erupt, sending streams of charged particles into space. If these streams reach Earth, they can cause solar storms.
Auroras occur when these particles enter Earth’s magnetosphere and strike atoms in the upper atmosphere. Oxygen and nitrogen particles then release energy as light, creating the glowing skies. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory notes that the colour depends on the type of gas and the energy level involved.
More auroras may be seen tonight
Forecasting the exact arrival of CMEs is difficult. Tuesday’s CME came earlier than expected, surprising space experts. While the second CME may not hit, skies could still offer another view of the aurora tonight, especially in higher latitudes.
So, if your skies are clear, step outside and look up. You might just catch a glimpse of the solar magic.
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